Take a breath.. or at least keep trying

I apologize for the delay in updates from Duke. In the last week, I have become so fatigued. I feel like a zombie throughout the day and at night I toss and turn trying to fall asleep. I am either freezing or boiling hot.

I have scheduled my treatment to be every Wednesday, the treatment will being on February 6th.

We did learn with this clinical trial I either get one of two drugs. Option 1 is the new drug, option 2 is IPI, which is what they would have given if the trial did not exist. We have to wait as the computer will pick who gets the trial drug and who does not. I have a 2/3 chance for the trial drug but if I don’t get it I still will be given the best drug that has been approved recently.

Today we had another scare as I began having difficulty breathing while at school. The doctors at Duke were concerned that it could be a blood clot in my lungs as that’s common with Melanoma. Luckily, it was not a blood clot. We aren’t sure what is causing the shallow breath. We go back to Duke next week and see if they can give any more guidance or solutions to the matter.

As if today wasn’t hard enough, I had to share with my classroom parents about my diagnosis. The support within my classroom and school has been completely overwhelming. The gratitude does not go unnoticed. I am simply in shock at the constant kindness.